sunsoforionfandomcom-20200215-history
Ad Astra 6 Rules Main Page
These are the rules for Ad Astra 6. The majority of the ruleset will be posted directly to this page, with a few things, like the tech tree, linked in. Race Creation Each player begins with 15 points to customize their race. In addition, I will roll a D4 for each player, giving them between 1 and 4 additional points to spend. This is to break things up a bit so everyone isn't completely equal and we avoid any cookie-cutter builds. There are a handful of players who will have Great Power status, and will have 19+D4 points to spend The starting package for each player is as follows: * 1 Core Sector w/3 Major Systems, valued at $6000 * 4 Colony Sectors w/1 Major System each, valued at $3000 each * Starting Funds for your military corresponding to your total GDP * 3 Technologies of your choice * 1 Free Espionage Investment (See Espionage Rules) * 1 Free 1 point advantage * 200 Shipyard Points In addition, you must select a government and an economic type. These will provide further modifiers in some areas, especially in terms of starting economic numbers. Government Types Feudalism As with Imperiums, you can justify wars easily, though support will plummet much faster when a conflict/war goes bad. * 5% Increased Cost to Tech Research * 5% Decreased Cost of Military Upkeep * 5% of GDP must be spent for Social Support * Some vulnerability to foreign intelligence operatives. Confederation Casus Bellum generally difficult, although easier than in a Federation. Your people will tolerate a certain amount of foreign adventurism, in comparison to a Federation, especially if your people feel the cause is 'just'. * 10% Decreased Cost to Tech Research * 2.5% GDP Social Support Cost, representing duplicated efforts in local and national governments. * The openness of your society makes you somewhat vulnerable to certain types of espionage Federation Casus Belli for domestic consumption are difficult; you must justify your wars and even significant foreign entanglements. * 5% Decreased Cost to Tech Research * The openness of your society makes you more vulnerable to certain types of espionage Imperium Your government can generally justify war relatively easily, however early defeats can spoil domestic support for war and can cause unrest among your government. * 10% Research Penalty * 5% of GDP must be spent to sustaining internal order-bread and circuses, etc. * 20% Reduction to military upkeep Hive You don't have to justify crap. Spawn more Overlords. * 15% Research Penalty * 7.5% of GDP must be spent to sustain your hive mind society. However you want to justify it, increased upkeep to sustain the collective or whatever. * 30% Reduction to military upkeep Economy Type Libertarian General Description: Think Adam Smith, 19th Century Economies * Recommended Tax Rate: 15%, Penalty after 25% * Most Trade Revenue * 15% Decreased Cost to Tech Research * No Social Support Cost Mercantilism General Description: 16th to 18th Century Europe (Trade) * Recommended Tax Rate: 25%, Penalty after 35% * Lots of Trade Revenue * 5% Increased Cost to Tech Research * 2.5% Base GDP cost for Social Support Free-Market/Capitalism General Description: Current Western Economies * Recommended Tax Rate: 30%, Penalty after 40% * Middle Trade Revenue * 5% Decreased Cost to Tech Research * 5% Base GDP cost for Social Support Socialist/Corporatism General Description: Modern day China * Recommended Tax Rate: 45%, Penalty after 55% * Some Trade Revenue * 10% Increased Cost to Tech Research * 15% Base GDP cost for Social Support Communist General Description: Early USSR, modern day Cuba * Recommended Tax Rate: 60%, Penalty after 70% * Least Trade Revenue * 20% Increased Cost to Tech Research * 25% Base GDP cost for Social Support Race Customization Points Having selected your government and economic type, you may then spend your points to further customize your race in the following areas: * Each additional starting technology: 1 point * Colony Sector worth $5,000 GDP w/1 Major System: 3 points * $2000 in additional starting GDP (allocated to your sectors in your initial writeup) and starting military: 1 point :: Limitation: There is a cap of 1 RCP in extra economy per major world your empire contains; thus, a nation with a core sector and four colony sectors could have a maximum of seven points allocated here. * Espionage Investment: 3 points * Wormhole Junction: 1 point per link (Mods will coordinate with players prior to start of game to link up the wormhole network) * 40 points in shipyards: 1 point * Controlling Interest in Unclaimed Sector: 1 point Example Writeup Randomrace Confederation Free-Market Confederation 17 Race Creation Points (15 + D4 roll of 2) Randomani Prime Sector (Core Sector) (Free) 6 Colony Sectors (4 Free, 2 @ 3 points each for a total of 6) Total GDP and Military of $24,000 each Bwoop Wormhole Junction: 3 Termius Connections (3 RCP) 2 Additional Starting Technologies (2 RCPs) 2 Espionage Investments (Sentient Intelligence, Underworld Operations) (1 Free, second costing 3 RCP) Tough Ships "Free" 1 point advantage Total: 17 A Note on your Starting Military Your ground forces must consist of at least 30% of your initial spending on military forces. Economy and Budgets Each player will be required to submit a yearly budget, outlining new purchases and investments their polity is obtaining. This is such a fundamental concept to our sort of game, I'm not going to explain them in detail. A new concept in this version of Ad Astra is the introduction of discreet trade income independent of your GDP. This is reflect free traders, commerece between different species, and the state of your local region of space. GDPs grow or shrink largely due only to your own internal interactions, and grow relatively slowly. Depending on posting activity, pirates, local stability, and other factors, trade income can fluctuate wildly from year to year. In especially serious conditions, it is even possible to have negative trade income, but this is generally reserved for situations where the player has right and truly fucked themselves. A number of expenditures are tied to your GDP, including internal upkeep costs, espionage missions, and researching and implementing new technologies. One of the advantages of a free-market economic type is that a larger portion of your yearly budget comes from trade income, which means that the absolute dollar cost of the aforementioned items will be a smaller portion of your budget. However, more government-intrusive forms of economic model are somewhat more stable, their energies keeping the economy focused on internal activity. Trade is generated independent of your GDP and is based on your government and economic model, in-game conditions, the activity of the player, and to a certain extent moderator's discretion. "Freer" economic models will generate more funds through trade income, and thus potentially have greater spending power than more centralized economies. However, these centralized systems are generally more stable, able to weather difficult economic conditions without wild fluctuations in income. A rash of pirate attacks could significant decrease a free-market state's trade income. A communist state, with little trade revenue to begin with, is going to be much less of a target of such raids in the first place, and what trade they do conduct will likely be along well-patrolled, established avenues. Libertarian economies can expect trade revenues to equal 20-25% of their GDP, while Communist states could see as little as 5% in average conditions. There is no exact science to trade, however, common sense applies-the same thing that ensures profitable trade in today's world largely remains good business sense in the 23rd century. Research Unlike previous Ad Astras, where technology was abstract, AA6 introduces a concrete tech tree for players to advance along. These technologies allow various benefits and in a few cases unlock additional abilities to utilize in-game. Technology costs are two fold, one in terms of time and the other as a percentage of your GDP to research and implement. The significant cost of new technology represents not only the R&D involved, but also the investment needed to allow this technology to percolate through your society and become effective. High Performance Circuitry Tree Origin Technology: High Performance Circuitry 10% of GDP VI/AI Technology Branch: VI/AI Technology 8% of GDP ----- VI/AI Fire Control (Req. VI/AI) 10% of GDP 5% improvement to ship accuracy Predictive Gunnery (VI/AI Fire Control) 12% of GDP 10% to ship accuracy Datalinks (Predictive Gunnery) 15% of GDP Massively improves the effectiveness of C3 modules ----- Virtual Banking (Req. VI/AI) 10% of GDP .5% to Annual GDP Growth VI Economic Management (Req. Virtual Banking) 12% of GDP .75% to Annual GDP Growth VI Economic Oversight (Req. VI Economic Management) 15% of GDP 1% to annual GDP Growth ----- Variable ECM (Req. VI/AI) 10% of GDP 10% more effective ECM Improved Variable ECM (Req. Variable ECM) 12% of GDP 15% more effective ECM Sensor Baffles (Req. Improved Variable ECM) 15% of GDP 20% more effective ECM Improved Construction Techniques Branch Improved Construction Techniques 8% of GDP ----- Advanced Improved Construction Techniques (Req. ICT) 10% of GDP -5% in cost of construction of units, allows Mobile Armor Gunboards Improved Production Facilities (Req. AICT) 12% of GDP 5% faster production of units Advanced Improved Production Facilities 10% faster production of units, allows Omnifighter ----- Improved Stellar Navigation Aides (Requires ICT) 10% of GDP +5% bonus to final trade revenues Improved Stellar Navigation Techniques (Requires ISNA) 12% of GDP +5% bonus to final trade revenues Secured Trade Routes (Requires ISNT) 15% of GDP +10% bonus to final trade revenues ----- Missile Sub-Branch Missile Miniaturization (Requires Improved Construction Techniques) 10% of GDP Prereq. for missile improvements. Long Range Missiles (Req. Missile Miniaturization) 8% of GDP +15% to effective missile engagement range Decoy Missiles (Req. Missile Miniaturization) 8% of GDP +15% to effective missile hit success Capital Missiles (Req. Missile Miniaturization) 10% of GDP +20% to missile damage Modern Weaponry Tree Origin Technology: Modern Weaponry 10% of GDP ------ Energy Weapons Branch Refined Focusing Lens 8% of GDP (Requires Modern Weaponry) ------ Advanced Improved Focusing Lens 10% of GDP (Requires Refined Focusing Lens) 5% to energy weapon damage, 10% bonus to point defense Improved Beam Weapons 10% of GDP (Requires AIFL) 10% to energy weapon damage Heterodyne Technology 12% of GDP (Requires IBW) 15% to energy weapon damage ----- Tracking Lasers 10% of GDP (Requires Refined Focusing Lens) 10% to Beam Weapon Accuracy, 5% Ballistic Weapons Accuracy, 10% bonus to point defense Advanced LIDAR/RADAR 12% of GDP (Requires Tracking Lasers) 10% to all weapon accuracy, 5% bonus to point defense Neutrino Detection 15% of GDP (Requires Advanced LIDAR/RADAR) 10% to all weapon accuracy, enhances basic FTL detection capability; your ships can now detect approximate masses and power curves of ships out of STL sensor contact, not just that they're there. ------ Ballistic Weapons Branch: Fusion-powered Rails 8% of GDP (Requires Modern Weaponry) ----- Improved Magnetic Coil 10% of GDP (Requires Fusion Powered Rails) 5% to ballistic weapons damage Improved Launch Coil 10% of GDP (Requires IMC) 10% to ballistic weapons damage Shield Penetrating Slugs 12% of GDP (Requires ILC) 15% to ballistic weapons damage ----- Hardened Slugs 10% of GDP (Requires Fusion Powered Rails) 10% to ground support fire damage Improved Hardened Slugs 10% of GDP (Requires Hardened Slugs) 15% to ground support fire damage Advanced Kinetic Kill Vehicles 12% of GDP (Requires IHS) 10% to ground support fire damage, 15% to ground support fire accuracy ----- Ground Forces Branch: Planetary Assault Doctrine 8% of GDP (Requires Modern Weaponry) 5% bonus to all ground combat Advanced Planetary C3 Systems 10% of GDP (Requires Planetary Assault Doctrine) 10% to ground force coordination/command Direct Atmospheric Assault Doctrine: 10% of GDP (Requires Advanced Planetary C3 Systems) 20% to marines and atmospheric squadron effectiveness on attack Combined Arms Doctrine: 10% of GDP (Requires Advanced Planetary C3 Systems) 15% to mobile infantry, artillery, and armor effectiveness Coordinated Planetary Defense Networks 12% of GDP (Requires Advanced Planetary C3 Systems) 10% bonus to ground forces on defense, planetary defenses Redundant Command Networks 15% of GDP (Requires CPDN) 15% bonus to ground forces on defense, planetary defenses ----- Armor Branch Hardened Armor 10% of GDP (Requires Modern Weaponry) 5% bonus to armor effectivness Polymer Coating 12% of GDP (Requires Hardened Armor) 10% bonus against ballistic weaponry Reflective Coating 12% of GDP (Requires Hardened Armor) 10% bonus against energy weaponry Anti-Spalling Protection 12% of GDP (Requires Hardened Armor) 10% bonus against missile weaponry Advanced Improved Armor 15% of GDP (Requires all armor technologies) 20% bonus to armor effectiveness ----- Shield Branch Non-Magnetic Shielding 8% of GDP (Requires Modern Weaponry) 5% bonus to shield effectivness Improved Shields 10% of GDP (Requires Non-Magnetic Weaponry) 10% bonus to shield effectivness Advanced Shields 12% of GDP (Requires Improved Shields) 15% bonus to shield effectiveness Modulating Shields 15% of GDP (Requires Advanced Shields) 20% bonus to shield effectiveness ----- Parasite Craft Branch Fighter and Gunboat Wing Doctrine 10% of GDP (Requires Modern Weaponry) 5% to all fighter and gunboat characteristics Improved Small Weaponry 10% of GDP (Requires Fighter and Gunboat Wing Doctrine) 10% to fighter and gunboat offense Improved Small Craft Construction 10% of GDP (Requires Fighter and Gunboat Wing Doctrine) 10% to all fighter and gunboat durability Advanced Improved Inertial Dampeners 10% of GDP (Requires Fighter and Gunboat Wing Doctrine) 15% to fighter and gunboat maximum speed Next Generation Fighters 15% of GDP (Requires all prior parasite craft technology) 15% of GDP 30% to all fighter and gunboat characteristics Espionage Espionage in Ad Astra VI occurs in six primary areas or spheres of tradecraft. All missions undertaken by a player will happen in at least one of these areas. Each tradecraft has its benefits and its drawbacks. Sentient Intelligence – This encompasses all operations that we would call human intelligence. The recruitment and handling of foreign moles, the luring of defectors, the blackmail of foreign officials or bureaucrats, and so forth all fall under this area. The most fickle and nuanced of the tradecrafts, and far and away the most difficult to maintain, it also has the potential to be the most useful. Technical Intelligence – This tradecraft includes all operations by electronic means. Bugging communications devices, eavesdropping on electronic transmissions, pernicious computer viruses, stealthy spy starships, tramp space freighters outfitted for communications interception, code breaking, and more are all examples of technical intelligence. In many ways, technical intelligence is the easiest of the tradecraft, but it is also limited by the ability of the target to utilize many forms of countermeasures. It also has limitations inherent to its very nature. Counterintelligence and Internal Security – This includes all operations designed to prevent or stop other kinds of spying from happening against you, and for keeping your own people under wraps. It includes the detection of moles, the prevention of defections, sweeping for electronic listening devices, the jamming of eavesdropping arrays, the hunting of stealthy spy starships, the location and monitoring of subversives, the maintenance of secure communications codes, and many other things. Internal security is a vital prerequisite for keeping your race safe from the schemes and underhanded doings of those who might wish to learn about you or cause you harm. Military Intelligence – This ostensibly oxymoronic tradecraft encompasses efforts focused at learning about your enemy’s military. While other tradecrafts might provide you with elements of information of this sort, military intelligence focuses on the application of those tradecraft to the battlefield through the learning of military deployments, the interception of battlefield communications, the discovery of detailed orders of battle, the acquisition of warship designs, and other things. Military intelligence can provide your forces with a decisive edge in combat if properly used. Underworld Operations – Much of the galaxy is a seedy place. Smugglers, criminal organizations, bounty hunters, mercenaries, slavers, and worse abound throughout the known galaxy. By having contacts within this shadowy realm, your race can learn and do many things. Almost everyone and everything has a price, provided that you are willing to pay it. Mercenary groups will fight for you, bounty hunters will kill enemies you wish to meet unfortunate fates, smugglers could prove useful in spiriting defectors from foreign territory, and dealing with criminal syndicates can help fund larger operations. Morality in the underworld is murky, and it is inevitable that dealing there will result in dirty deeds and bloody hands. Analysis – Vast quantities of information flow into your espionage apparatus from many different sources. Often, it is difficult to transform this flood of electronic babble and disparate espionage into useful and functional intelligence about your adversaries. Fortunately, the analysis area of tradecraft focuses on taking these puzzle pieces and “connecting the dots,” forming a more complete picture from the tiny bits of the whole. Analysts can make connections and understand information far better than your race’s leadership, and their expertise can be vital. Agencies Your race can conduct espionage operations in each of the above areas, right from the beginning. However, races can also have intelligence agencies with a specific focus in a given area. In human examples, the Mossad and KGB are good at sentient (human) intelligence. The NSA is good at technical intelligence. The FBI and MI5 specialize in internal security. The CIA excels at analysis. Players should choose their starting agencies with extreme care. Agencies are powerful instruments for espionage. Having one in a given tradecraft will greatly improve the chances of success for missions that you run in that particular area. Missions unsupported by agencies can succeed, but the chances are not as good that the mission will be a complete success, and the chance outright failure is higher. Missions supported by agencies are done by people with real skills in the given area, by experts. Accordingly, their chances of success are much better. Operations and Operatives Missions are expensive. Those conducted within your borders, or in open space, are much less expensive than those conducted inside other powers. The cost of a mission shall be in direct proportion to the size of the economy in which it is being conducted, and there is no guarantee of success. Missions conducted within another power cost at least 1% of that power’s GDP to run. Particularly extensive missions may cost more. If you are trying to overthrow a foreign government, for example, or start a significant rebellion, it is going to cost more than just 1% of the target’s GDP. Internal missions are generally cheaper, but this can vary depending on the scope of your planned mission Missions involving the galactic underworld have their cost determined on a case-by-case basis. Missions in the Sorensian Chaos will have their cost determined on a case-by-case basis. All missions conducted outside of your own borders, whether inside another power, in open space, or in the galactic underworld must be accompanied by at least one story post. It is immensely preferred that these posts be related, directly or indirectly, to the involved mission, but this is not always required. Since anonymity tends to be a base prerequisite to espionage, these posts will be forwarded to the espionage moderator (me), and I will post them for you (with minor tweaks) so that their author remains unknown. Some very inventive and creative stories are often going to be required for them to be about the mission and not give anything away. I will not write these posts for you. The types of missions that a player can run are practically infinite, but for our purposes they will tend to fall into one of several categories. * Acquire Information * Cause Unrest * Conduct Assassination * Establish Operative * Hire Underworld Operative Most of these should be self-explanatory. Specialized missions not falling into one of these broad categories are allowed, but do not make a habit of them. The espionage moderator will have to run dozens of these missions every year. Simplicity helps everyone. Lastly, while the numbers of missions that a player can run are limited, the number of operatives is not. Once you get a mole in a foreign government as a result of a mission, for example, they stay there until they are caught or can defect, and they incur no further cost on the mission limitation basis. The Galactic Underworld The galaxy is a big place, and government control is very lax over much of it. The sheer vastness of space—on top of the immense expanses of open sectors across much of the known galaxy—means that government authority cannot be present everywhere. In such places, people want what they want and will do what they do. This is the realm of the galactic underworld. The underworld is a chaotic jumble of slavers, mercenaries, criminal syndicates, pirates, bounty hunters, smugglers, and worse. Every race has its bad apples, and many of them find their way into the shadows. Even collective races have the occasional unit go crazy, mutate, or be separated somehow from the hive mind. Much freeform is allowed in the creation of characters and groups for this underworld. Within reason, players may create characters and groups in the galactic underworld. Indeed, they are encouraged to do so, within the two cardinal rules. # You may create no character or group with members from a given race without the permission of either that race’s player or the espionage moderator. # Characters created by players will not operate against the player that created them without the permission of either the creator or the espionage moderator. Characters and groups in the underworld are up for hire by anyone, within the aforementioned cardinal rules. Such hiring is done by the espionage moderator, not the creator, within the aforementioned cardinal rules. Formatting The submission of espionage missions is to be standardized. Espionage missions that do not follow the proper format will not be run. A template follows. : Mission Name : Mission # of (number of available mission slots here) : Mission Type : Mission Target : Required Tradecraft, and Relevant Agency Support : Mission Cost (if underworld or Sorensian, I will provide the cost upon request) : Details (if any) All missions should be posted in your private thread. You should also post in your private thread specifying which agency or agencies you picked for your race. Any public fluff about your agency or agencies is up to you. Additional Notes Espionage is a long-term thing. It is not something instant or quick. It takes time to recruit an agent, and it could be years before they are can provide useful information. Factors such as racial differences only complicate matters. Every race, regardless of physiology, economy, or government, can spy on another race. Even collective races are not immune to espionage, and they are not precluded from participating in spying on others. This being said, racial and other factors can impact the odds of a mission’s success. Indeed, coupled with the benefits of having an agency and the inherent odds of a mission’s success, they are the largest factor in determining whether some types of mission succeed or fail. Lastly, the presence — or lack thereof — of a counterintelligence agency should not be interpreted as seriously impacting the ability of a race to perform basic counterintelligence and internal security operations. Really paranoid races will have a counterintelligence agency, and particularly races that are as interested in finding spies as they are in watching their own people. Many more open races will run missions tasked to internal security rather than face the domestic political consequences of overtly spying on their own kind. Military Basics A player's military is divided into three equally important components in AA6. Your navy, your ground forces, and your system defenses all play a part in protecting your race. Navy and ground forces require yearly expenditures of upkeep, normally 10% of their initial purchasing cost. Certain government and economic choices may also modify this number: these modifications are applied to this final upkeep - an Imperium with $30,000 in military forces would pay $2400 in yearly upkeep instead of a Federation's $3000. New forces have a cost which must be paid up front and a build/mustering time. When that time is up, the units are completed. New units do not require upkeep costs until the budget after they're completed - please don't cheese out here and arrange for all your crap to be completed in March, or moderatorial mayhem may ensue. Ships require shipyards to be built, and a player has to allocate his initial starting shipyard points to certain types of slipways, which obviously build various types of ships. It is possible to build additional shipways during the course of the game. The time and costs for new slipways, as well as the hull sizes each slipway may construct, are indicated below. Shipyards are also generally required to repair severely damaged warships. While this isn't needed for normal wear and tear or other normal maintenance, if a ship is labeled as Crippled in a moderation, it must be repaired in a facility with an appropriate slipway. Thus, it is not a bad idea to leave a few slipways open for repairs if one is engaged in a serious conflict. : Escort Slipway: 5 points. $150, 1 Year to construct. May build Scout, Corvette, Frigate, Destroyer hulls. : Cruiser Slipway: 10 points. $300, 2 Years to construct. May build Light Cruiser, Heavy Cruiser hulls. : Capital Slipway: 20 points. $600, 3 Years to construct. May build Battlecruiser, Battleship, Dreadnought, Monitor hulls. Fighters and Gunboats Fighters and gunboats are used in both your regular navy and your system defenses, so I'm giving them their own little subheading. Hanger modules on new ships come equipped with fighters or gunboats as indicated and replenishing losses is considered part of a listed repair cost and general upkeep. One type of gunboat, the parasite, does cost extra above what is normal for gunboats, and the "Navy Cost" is the cost one must pay if these gunboats are carried aboard a warship. The advanced 'omnifighter' has a similar additional cost listed, and become available to purchase after developing the required technologies. Normally a hanger module supports a wing of fighters, at a strength of four squadrons, or a squadron of gunboats. Parasite Gunboats, due to their size and upkeep requirements, need two such modules to support a squadron. Technologies that improve a particular type of weapon (energy, ballistic, or missile/seeking) would improve the fighter in said field as well. Cost as system defenses: : Fighters: $30 for wing (4 squadrons) : Omnifighters: $40 for wing : Gunboats: $25 for squadron : Parasite/Heavy Gunboat: $45 for squadron : Mobile Armor Gunboat: $40 for squadron Fighters Multirole The baseline type, multiroles can perform in all tasks reliably, even if not exceptionally. : Anti-Ship Strength (Beam): +0% Interceptors Fast, agile craft that are explicitly designed and built to seek and destroy enemy attack craft. However they are functionally incapable of doing any meaningful damage to warships. While their weapons aren't quite up to effectively destroying gunboats, their speed and small profile also renders them almost immune to return fire. : Anti-Fighter Strength: +100% : Anti-Fighter Defense: +100% : Anti-Gunship Strength: -25% : Anti-Ship Strength (Beam): -75% Bomber Somewhat slow assault craft, weighed down by the heavy ordnance load they're carrying. Unfortunately while they have heavy forward-facing shielding to protect them against ship-based defenses, they are vulnerable to zippier craft that can get behind them. : Anti-Fighter Strength: -75% : Anti-Fighter Defense: -50% : Anti-Ship Strength (Missile): +200% : Anti-Ship Defense: +100% Bouncer Bouncers are little more than slightly-mobile turrets clad in thick armor, firing guided railgun rounds across immense ranges. Lacking the speed to cross long distances on their own, they are commonly deployed defensively, or else when a fleet enters direct combat range. : Anti-Fighter Strength: -50% : Anti-Fighter Defense: +25% : Anti-Gunboat Strength: +0% : Anti-Ship Strength (Kinetic): +100% : Anti-Ship Defense: +50% : Other Notes: Not atmosphere capable, can act as Point Defense Lancer Fighters armed with high-powered beam emitters, Lancers are best at fighting gunboats, as they have an effective combination of firepower and accuracy. : Anti-Fighter Strength: -50% : Anti-Gunboat Strength: +100% : Anti-Ship Strength (Beam): +50% Omnifighter The pinnacle of fighter operations, omnifighters can be loaded with external packs allowing them to take any of the above roles. However, due to the requirements of their modular design, they are not capable of atmospheric entry. Omnifighters require the development of Advanced Improved Production Facilities and cost an additional $15 to equip a module with omnifighters. Gunboats Standard Gunboat The baseline. Well-rounded, miniature warships. : Offensive: 2 : Defensive: 1 Interface Striker/Dropship Fast and streamlined craft designed to engage in battles from low altitudes right into the exosphere. They are often also used as the basic frame for muscular first-in, last-out dropships. : Offensive: 1 : Defensive: 1 : Anti-Fighter Offense: +50% : Anti-Fighter Defense: +50% : Anti-Gunboat/Ship Offense: +50% (in atmosphere only) Parasite Warship/Heavy Gunboat Heavier gunboats, straddling the line between strike craft and genuine warships. Takes up 2 hanger modules per squadron : Offensive: 2 : Defensive: 2 : Anti-Ship Offense: +25% : Anti-Ship Defense: +25% : Anti-Fighter Defense: -25% : Other notes: Non-Atmospheric Mobile Armor For when you absolutely, positively need to blow the shit out of everything. Fast, powerful, expensive. Costs an added $20 per hanger module over normal and Advanced Improved Construction Techniques to build. Hot-swappable modules may be reallocated between Offensive and Defensive modules. : Offensive: 1 : Defensive: 1 : Hot-swappable: 2 : Defense: +25% : Other notes: Non-Atmospheric Gunboat Components (Offensive) : Pulse Cannons :: Anti-Fighter Strength: +25% :: Anti-Ship Strength (Beam): +25% : Scattering Beam Cannons :: Anti-Fighter Strength: +50% : Assault Railguns :: Anti-Ship Strength (Kinetic): +50% : Antishipping Missiles :: Anti-Ship Strength (Missiles): +100% : Marine Lander :: Can carry 1 unit of Marines Gunboat Components (Defensive) : Ablative Armor :: Defense: +25% : Pin-Point Barriers :: Anti-Fighter Defense: +50% : Siege Shielding :: Anti-Ship Defense: +50% : Electronic Warfare :: Jammers and Spoofers : Stealth :: Stealth tiles, heat sinks, etc, to make the gunboat less detectable. Passive versus active EW. : Hypercore :: Enhanced jump range Navy Ship Design In this version of the rules, all ships are assumed to have the same generic attributes and the player's main responsibility in customizing his fleet is in the fine details. To design a ship, a player has to select a hull size, select the ratio of beam weapons/ballistic weapons/missile weapons, and then select any modules he or she may wish the ship to have. Modules are listed as either Large or Small modules. Two small modules can fit in the same space as one large module. A large module CANNOT fit in two small modules. (See what I did there?) Scout Hull : Cost: $15 : Construction Time: 6 Months : Modules: 1 Small : General Rundown: Very lightly armed and armored. Extremely fast. Has one light module to customize for mission set. Can land on planets. Corvette Hull : Cost: $25 : Construction Time: 9 Months : Modules: 2 Small : General Rundown: The smallest ship suitable for long-range patrol duties. Has double the mission capability of the scout, but at the same time is less expendable. Can serve as the basis for an escort, electronic warfare ship, picket, marine assault ship, etc. Can land on planets. Frigate Hull : Cost: $40 : Construction Time: 12 Months : Modules: 1 Large : General Rundown: The smallest ship normally intended for ship to ship combat. Its large module gives it more flexibility than the corvette, and it is generally more heavily armed and armored. It is somewhat slower than the corvette, but realistically is superior in all respects to the lighter craft. The smallest hull that can mount large modules, making it the smallest possible carrier. Can land on planets. Destroyer Hull : Cost: $60 : Construction Time: 15 Months : Modules: 1 Large, 1 Small : General Rundown: A versatile hull design with a good mix of attributes. Frequently serve as one of the workhorse hulls in most interstellar fleets. Capable of filling a variety of roles. Can land on planets. Light Cruiser Hull : Cost: $100 : Construction Time: 18 Months : Modules: 2 Large : General Rundown: The smallest cruiser mass vessel, often used as an independent patrol ship or as a picket ship for heavier vessels. Very flexible, functionally a larger destroyer. Indeed, often used as a destroyer leader in some navies. The largest ship that can land safely on a planetary surface. Heavy Cruiser Hull : Cost: $150 : Construction Time: 24 Months : Modules: 2 Large, 2 Small : General Rundown: The backbone of many fleets, the heavy cruiser is the largest warship one will normally encounter on the frontier. Favoring weapons and armor over speed when compared to the light cruiser, the CA is nonetheless a capable ship in all fields. Often used as the basis for a carrier design. Battlecruiser Hull : Cost: $250 : Construction Time: 30 months : Modules: 3 Large : General Rundown: The heavy cruiser's track fiend bigger brother, the BC marries the firepower and protection of the CA on a hull capable of accelerating like a destroyer. Somewhat more verstile in mission role than its smaller cousin, it is not as well protected for a ship of its size, which is comparable to a battleship. Battleship Hull : Cost: $300 : Construction Time: 36 Months : Modules: 4 Large, 1 Small : General Rundown: The smallest capital ship, battleships form the backbone of most interstellar polities' capital ship fleets. Emphasizing firepower and protection over speed, battleships tend to be slow and lumbering, but can generally outmaneuver dreadnoughts and monitors. Dreadnought Hull : Cost: $500 : Construction Time: 40 Months : Modules: 5 Large, 2 Small : General Rundown: The monster of space, the dreadnought is the battleship's bigger brother. Dreadnoughts have enough firepower to glass a planet's surface in a long weekend and are well protected enough to survive the fires of a full fleet engagement. They're also somewhat vulnerable to fighter attack, are extremely expensive, and take a long time to replace, so be smart about using them. One does not deploy dreadnoughts casually. Monitor Hull : Cost: $1000 : Construction Time: 48 Months : Modules: 6 Large, 4 Small : General Rundown: Are you seriously going to build something that eats 10% of your starting military in one go? Sure, it's a planet killer and a ruiner of afternoons, but it can only be in one place at a time. Slower than a snail in the desert, the Monitor should not be left unprotected lest someone's astrotech droid find a weakness to exploit... Small Modules *'Additional Engine Capacity': Allows your ship to go faster. Pretty obvious. More effective on smaller ships than on larger ones. *'ECM': Additional Electronic Warfare tonnage allow this ship to act as a scout, with advanced sensors, and operate under stealth. More effective on light ships than on heavy ones. *'Passive Protection': Reinforced Armor plates and extra shield generators afford this ship extra protection *'Point Defense Array': Protects the ship and its consorts against enemy fighters, gunboats, and seeking weaponry. *'Additional Weaponry': More guns/beams/bombs, in the percentage in the class writeup. *'Planetary Assault Weaponry': Specialized railguns and submunition launchers, with the additional sensor equipment that makes pinpoint orbital bombardment possible. *'Marine Landing Force': The ability to emplace marines and their support on a planet's surface under combat conditions. Can carry 1 division or 2 Regiments. *'Support': Allows the ship to provide repair, replenishment, and resupply operations to an attending squadron or fleet. *'Cargo': What it sounds like. Added by request and without further comment. Large Modules *'Fighter Hanger': A hanger facility for a wing of fighters and bombers and the equipment needed to sustain them. *'Gunboat Hanger': A hanger facility for a squadron of gunboats and the equipment needed to sustain them. *'Support': Allows the ship to provide, repair, replenishment, and resupply operations to an attending squadron or fleet *'Passive Protection': Reinforced Armor Plates and extra shield generators afford this ship even more protection. *'Additional Weaponry': More guns/beams/bombs, in the percentage in the class writeup. *'C3 Equipment': Equipment that allows for the coordination of fleet engagements with greater accuracy. Ground Forces Mechanized Infantry Division Basic light infantry, effective (+10%) v. artillery, VTOL, ineffective (-10%) v. Armored, Mobile Infantry : Cost: $5 : Muster Time: 6 Months : Armor: 1 : Speed: 4 : Damage: 2-5 : Morale: determined by situation : Experience: Green, Experienced, Veteran, Elite (each giving +5% to values) Mobile Infantry Regiment Heavier infantry (Equiped with battlearmor), effective (+10%) v. artillery, Marine, ineffective (-10%) v. VTOL, Armored : Cost: $5 : Muster Time: 6 Months : Armor: 2 : Speed: 3 : Damage: 4-6 : Morale: determined by situation : Experience: Green, Experienced, Veteran, Elite (each giving +5% to values) Armored Division Hover tanks, effective (+10%) v. Mech. Inf., Mobile Inf., ineffective v. VTOL, Marine : Cost: $7 : Muster Time: 1 Year : Armor: 4 : Speed: 2 : Damage: 7-9 : Morale: determined by situation : Experience: Green, Experienced, Veteran, Elite (each giving +5% to values) Atmospheric Fighter/VTOL Wing Effective (10%) v. Mobile Inf., Armored, ineffective (-10%) v. Mech Inf. : Cost: $5 : Muster Time: 1 Year : Armor: 1 : Speed: 5 : Damage: 6-8 : Morale: determined by situation : Experience: Green, Experienced, Veteran, Elite (each giving +5% to values) Artillery Regiment MLRS, Beam Artillery, Ground-Rail Guns, AA/SAM effective v. Armored, VTOL, ineffective (-10%) v. Mobile Inf., Marine : Cost: $5 : Muster Time: 6 Months : Armor: 0 : Speed: 2 : Damage: 10-12 : Morale: determined by situation : Experience: Green, Experienced, Veteran, Elite (each giving +5% to values) Marine Battalion Assault troops, effective (+10%) v. Mobile Inf., Armored, ineffective (-10%) v. Artillery : Cost: $3 : Muster Time: 6 months : Armor: 2 : Speed: 3 : Damage: 3-6 : Morale: determined by situation : Experience: Green, Experienced, Veteran, Elite (each giving +5% to values) Notes Non-mechanized infantry exist in the form of various militias and conscripts that will be dealt with on a planet by planet basis. But if you were to assign values to them, it should be assumed that they would be 0 armor, 2 speed, 1-3 damage, and limited to Experienced. Ground Combat Basically the formulas for computing battles will be something along the lines of: Get battle orders/generate basic terrain of planet in question Apply terrain to determine logistics Allow for 1 round of orbital bombardment Calculate the orbital damage to military units Determine ground force disposition based on primary targets/battle plans. Allow Artillery/VTOL turn for both sides before actual engagement. Marines get initiative to attack on Artillery/VTOL turn. Then the rest are allowed to attack after that first turn. Then calculate damage along the lines of: OMITTED So say an Experienced Frenzied (best morale level) Armored Division is attacked by Veteran Good (middle morale level) Artillery Regiment (artillery shooting first). Assume these are the same tech level powers, and the battle is happening on an open field. The Artillery Regiment fires first due to higher priority, resulting in 10.56/16.00025 = 65% damage to the Armored Division. The Armored Division then retaliates, resulting in 2.645/5.67 = 47% damage to the Artillery Regiment. Starting Ground Forces Some of your beginning ground forces begin the game with experience. New units muster as Green troops. The percentage of experience, regardless of unit type, is 30% Green, 40% Experienced, 20% Veteran, and 10% Elite. If you have a wish to have varying ratios between different types of troops - say, having more elite armored units in exchange for green mobile infantry or marines - you must have moderator approval. Muster Limits Unless your people are at war, there is a limit to how much you can expand your armies in the course of a year. This represents logistical and training hurdles that, regardless of species, can not be easily overcome. It is not possible to conscript a man off the street, stuff him in power armor, and hand him a railgun, hoping he will be effective on the 23rd century battlefield. The cap is a 15% increase per game year. This limit is lifted in times of crisis, but obviously there are other repercussions. System Defenses In addition to your FTL capable fleets, your node systems are defended by an array of orbital defense platforms, large battlestations, in-system patrol ships, and fighter and gunboat squadrons. The upkeep of these defenses is attended to by the various planetary governments of your empire and is free to you, the player. The growth of these defense forces is organic with each sector's growth in GSP (Gross Sector Product), and declines should they decline-this represents the system governments scrapping defenses to save money in a tight economic time. These defenses pound for pound are generally more effective than warships, however they are restricted to the systems they are deployed in and in many cases have restricted mobility even in-system. Orbital stations and OWPs, for example, lack engines more powerful than station keeping thrusters. Each planetary assault of a node system will be handled on a case-by-case basis by the moderation staff, however some typical designs you might see in a node system and their relative combat power ability is listed below. As a general rule of thumb, clear zones to revert to real space in a major system tend to be limited. The amount of in-system traffic, orbital colonies, and general clutter make reverting, say, directly into Earth orbit a bad joke at best and a catastrophe at worst. This even applies to invading fleets-your shiny fleet flagship dropping out of hyperspace and interpenetrating with a garbage scow is a wee bit embarrassing. Typical galactic convention dictates that a lagrange point or other recognized gravitational 'balance point' be used near a major world, as well as a number of outer-system approach vectors. Needless to say, these approach vectors are closely watched. If an enemy fleet drops out of hyperspace in one of these zones, system defenses are standing by to engage. If an enemy is foolish or brave enough to try a non-standard hyperspace exit point, well, it could work really well or really badly. This doesn't apply to minor systems, as traffic there isn't anywhere near major enough to be a concern. To summarize: System defenses can be placed in major systems or systems with a wormhole junction. Defenses above minor non-node systems will be handled by the moderator and are generally unimpressive, just enough to deter basic piracy. Police Cutter : Cost: $15 : General Rundown: Scout Hull, used for customs duties around a system. Lightly armed and armored, cutters have a high speed and excellent sensors for detecting smugglers. Generally one or two of these will be present in almost any system, as they can be shipped in parts in crates and assembled by a tech team on the ground. Not designed for engaging warships. Ground Defense Batteries : Cost: $45 for network of 8 batteries : General Rundown: A network of surface-based weapons, normally some form of railgun, or, if on an airless moon, beam weapons. Orbital Weapons Platform : Cost: $60 for a network of 10 platforms : General Rundown: A basic unmanned weapons platform designed for orbital work, the OWP usually mounts a large quantity of missiles to allow it to fire for maximum effect before it is destroyed. Designed to be expendable and generally controlled from the ground. Normally a couple of these can be found in almost any system, as they are useful as a deterent to pirates. Even in the numbers normally seen around semi-major colonies, 10 to 12 platforms, they are not a serious threat to anything larger than a destroyer. Systems Control Station : Cost: $80 : General Rundown: Generally found orbiting minor planets in node systems, Systems Control Stations act as a customs checkpoint and military outpost for a world. Found occasionally over major settlements outside of node systems, SCS combine the firepower of a cruiser in a package more economically efficent than a destroyer. However, they are functionally immobile. System Monitor : Cost: $100 : General Rundown: A STL ship with the mass of a light cruiser, there are a number of variations on the basic design, from carrier-type monitors to heavily armored designs primarily designed for orbital work. Monitors have all the advantages of mobile units in the defense of a star system and often operate in datalinked squadrons just like FTL-capable starships. Indeed, many monitors are actually retired starships converted to system defense duties. Battlestation : Cost: $200 : General Rundown: A heavy defense platform designed to defend a heavily inhabited world, a major shipyard, or other expensive economic investment. Battlestations, while generally not mobile, have the firepower to standoff cruisers and even battleships and are the keystone to most planetary defense networks. While the specific design varies from race to race, it is generally a bad idea to underestimate what a half dozen of these with their integrated fighters, gunboats, and OWPs can do to a careless raiding squadron. Heavy System Monitor : Cost: $300 : General Rundown: Generally only found in capital systems, the Heavy Systems Monitor is almost always a retired capital ship converted to system defense duties. For example, several damaged national battleships were converted to the system defense role after the Fourth Interstellar War and the formation of the UNSN. These are capital ships with bad attitudes, even though they generally won't have the latest upgrades. Capital Defense Station : Cost: $500 : General Rundown: These mammoth stations are generally only found over your homeworld, and generally there's not more than one of them. Frequently possessing levels of firepower equivalent to a monitor without the pesky power and space requirements of a monitor-rated propulsion system, they are perfectly capable of ruining anyone's day, and invading fleets must be prepared to deal with them. Creating a non-standard system defense is certainly possible, speak with a moderator about anything special you'd like to come up with.